I Didn't Want to Die
by Harmlessly Weird
Summary: The tributes of the Seventy-fourth Games survived quite a bit, but what happened when their period of survival ended?
1. Saylin Vulley

**One-shot on an important death. Like most of my fanfics, this is an often-used theme, but oh, well.**

_No, no, no_, said the voice in Saylin's head. _That was too loud, quieter next time. You can't afford for the girl to hear you_.

Saylin picked at the cheese. It was creamy and rich. She licked it off her fingers, savoring the salt that she hadn't tasted in days.

_Saylin_, the voice said. Saylin identified it as the voice of her mentor, Joprina.

_Remember, silence is key_. Joprina had pushed that into Saylin's head in all possible ways. _Silence is golden_.

Joprina was her mother.

Saylin finished the cheese and looked at the few dark-violet berries in the palm of her other hand. She'd eat those later, when farther away from the girl. The boy was absolutely convinced that these berries weren't poisonous – he wouldn't try to kill his district partner, now that they could win together.

Saylin wished Quinn were still alive…she would team up with him right away.

_Quinn_…

She hadn't had a romantic interest in Quinn. Ever. But he was her best friend, anyway, and she was expected to take his death lightly? She'd sobbed quietly that evening. She realized that she might win sponsors by doing so, and had used aris leaves to keep her eyes red, like she had been crying.

_You've always been smart_, Joprina's voice said. _Just use that intelligence_.

There was a rustling just feet from her. Saylin froze. She heard the girl say something about restless rabbits and leave.

_Saylin Vulley_

I let out a long, quiet breath. I have no doubt that the girl will kill me on sight.

I begin walking away. My stomach rumbles.

_Whatever_, I think. _I'll eat the berries now and get at her food again later_.

I sit down. The girl's voice cries, "And you ate without me!"

"What? No, I didn't," the boy says, sounding bewildered.

"Oh, and I suppose the apples ate the cheese," the girl says. Why is she so mad?

"I don't know what ate the cheese, Katniss, but it wasn't me. Do you care for some berries?"

This leaves no doubt. The berries aren't poisonous. My instincts tell me this isn't a trap. I down them.

I hear the girl draw in a sharp breath. My vision goes foggy and I impatiently shake my head to clear it.

No, now I'm on the ground. How am I on the ground?

What is going on?

The world is spinning, very fast, very colorfully. I try stupidly to get up. A tiny, sharp cry escapes my lips. Then something happens – something happens – and my chest feels empty somehow. I know why.

My heart has stopped.

The last sound I hear is the cannon. I try to grab at a sight, but all I see is green.

**Foxface. Poor girl. She didn't deserve to die.**

**Sorry if the dialogue in the story isn't right, I don't have the book with me and was relying on memory.**


	2. Clove Esoterica

**Read my decision about this and following chapters at the bottom.**

Clove glanced at her DuraTime, the watch that she'd been wearing when that girl – the Girl on Fire? Catnip? Whatever her name was – when that girl blew up the food.

It read _4:56_.

She began flipping through the special calendar in her pack and found the date – she'd been keeping track of it.

_June 2nd, 2976_. _Sunrise: 5:34. Sunset: 7:33_.

Five thirty-four. She had roughly half an hour to prep herself. _She_ was the one going in to get the armor they needed, not Cato. _Cato_ was going to protect her. Right?

She rummaged through her pack and brought out a tiny bottle labeled _arcole_. She pressed it gently, feeling the delicateness of the glass. If she smashed this over his head, deadly poison would leak through his skin and destroy his brain within twenty seconds. It was her last resort against Flaming Catnip, the giant, anyone. If Cato tried to win without her, she was ready.

She arranged all her knives. Cato appeared next to her and she slipped the arcole deep into a pocket.

"Nothing left to do but wait," Cato said roughly.

Clove grimaced. His voice was dry and sort of nasty – nothing like her boyfriend's sweet tones. Merit had been nice and friendly, although a little overprotective at times.

_And with this – this MONSTER's help, I'm going back to him_, Clove thought dryly. _How ironic. Cato tries to be my boyfriend and fails, only he will bring me back to my real one._

She had no doubts that she and Cato were going to win. Flaming Catnip would be killed today, because Lover Boy would definitely not be the one coming to retrieve – whatever they had to retrieve.

Clove brushed Cato's hand off her shoulder. He pouted and returned to his corner of the bush.

Clove spent the next half hour staring at the DuraTime. Finally, it read _5:30_. She took out two knives and prepped herself for a sprint. Hopefully she could get a good solid stick in the back of Flaming Catnip's head. Then Saylin – Saylin was the redhead who had been very quiet and sneaky – with Saylin, maybe, just maybe, a knife in the back. Her head was too small a target. As for the giant…

_Armor first. Then giant._

Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock. The DuraTime's fingers swept to 5:34.

As a single ray of sun fell in front of the Cornucopia, the ground rumbled and split open. Clove, shocked, stumbled back. A table rose out of the earth. Four backpacks lay on it. Clove zeroed in on the largest, the one with a huge _2_ on it.

A flash of red and the single green backpack was gone. Clove found herself staring at Saylin's disappearing form. She bit back a scream of frustration and got ready. Flaming Catnip would try next.

And she did. Rocketed out of the bushes just a little to Clove's right, Glimmer's bow and arrows gripped tightly. Clove felt cold fury course through her. How dare Flaming Catnip take her friend's weapons? They were rightfully Glimmer's.

Clove studied the girl. Her very dark hair was still loosely in a braid. Her skin was a color Clove had never seen before. Olive, she thought it was called. She ran like the wind.

_I sort of have to admire her_, Clove thought. _Her and Saylin both. Although she's hardly pretty. I doubt Lover Boy's really in love with her._

She sprung out and hurled a knife. It sailed through the air but the girl knocked it away with Glimmer's bow and sent the loaded arrow at Clove. It hit Clove's left arm. Gritting her teeth, willing herself not to scream, Clove charged.

The girl pulled the tiny orange backpack up onto her arm and swiveled. Clove threw another knife and this time, it sliced across the girl's brow. Clove rammed into her.

_Clove Esoterica_

"Where's your boyfriend, District Twelve?" I taunt her. "Still hanging on?"

She stares at me with pure hatred. "He's out there now," she snarls. "Hunting Cato. Peeta!"

She chokes off when I jam my fist into her mouth, cutting off her voice. I look around. No lumbering blonde in sight.

"Liar," I say, grinning, relieved. "He's nearly dead. Cato knows where he cut him. You've probably got him strapped up in some tree while you try to keep his heart going. What's in the pretty little backpack? That medicine for Lover Boy? Too bad he'll never get it."

I pull open my jacket with my hundreds of knives. Flaming Catnip's eyes widen in fear and surprise.

"I promised Cato if he let me have you, I'd give the audience a good show," I say sweetly. As if that idiot could ever locate someone like her.

She tries somewhat valiantly to push me off. I snort.

"Forget it, District Twelve." For now, I think it's safe not to call her Flaming Catnip. That would only incite sponsors inclined toward her. "We're going to kill you," I continue, "just like we did your pathetic little ally…what was her name? The one who hopped around in the trees? Rue? Well, first Rue, then you, and I think we'll just let nature take care of Lover Boy. How does that sound?"

She looks so helpless as I tilt her head and twist it. I look for a place that won't hit a major vein but will still be painful. Then the look on her face almost breaks me down. I recompose myself immediately, freaking out internally. Hopefully no one's seen any weakness.

"I think…I think we'll start with your mouth." I trace her chapped brownish lips. Not kept them in the best condition, has she?

"Yes, I don't think you'll have much use for your lips anymore. Want to blow Lover Boy one last kiss?" She spits at me. Cold, controlled fury builds up inside my chest. "Well, let's get started.

I put the point of the knife to her chin, see a tiny flash of red –

Something powerful and unnaturally fierce rips me from Flaming Catnip's body. I'm upside down, blood rushing to my head.

The giant.

"What'd you do with that little girl?" he bellows. At _me_. "You kill her?" Something happens to his face.

"No!" I scream, tremendously grateful I sent Marvel to check out the fires. "No, it wasn't me!"

"You said her name. I heard you. You kill her?" Something seems to occur to him. "You cut her up like you were going to cut up this girl here?"

"No!" There's a rock in his hand. It's huge, the size of the one that killed my father when his mine collapsed. I have one chance for escape, a horrible chance, but a chance. In the form of a brutish male with a sword.

"Cato! Cato!" I screech, but it's over. The giant – Thresh is his name, not exactly helpful information – Thresh swings the rock at my head.

The strike is painful at first, but recedes into a sort of rippling throb. I hear Flaming Catnip and Thresh exchange a conversation. Flaming Catnip runs. Thresh goes and I hear a grating, dry voice that I know will be the last I'll ever hear.

"Clove, please, no, no, don't die! Please, Clove!" Cato. My world is dissolving into just a flurry of colorful lights and strange, sweet, exotic smells. I can hear and feel and taste the real world, though. My tongue is trapped between my gritted teeth, but I feel no pain…

I hear Thresh's last footsteps and Cato thunking his spear into the ground and then the pressure on my chest as he begins CPR. And CPR means that he'll try to kiss me.

I swear I'll die before that happens. With a quiet sorry to Merit, to my sisters Daffy and Dandy, to my parents, to my baby cousin Arania.

Cato is coming closer. I feel for the damage to my brain and spread it throughout me, and I'm gone.

**I've decided, as you may have guessed, to make this a series of one-shots on named tributes' deaths. So, this is the order: Foxface/Saylin, Clove, Cato, Thresh, Rue, Glimmer, Marvel, then a mystery tribute that I've named Calypsa.**

**And review, please, because it makes me happy!**


	3. Cato Masorini

After killing the giant, Cato got exactly three hours of sleep, a luxury after forty-eight waking hours hunting Clove's killer down.

But now…his three hours seemed like a serious disadvantage. Grogginess didn't help when you were running from human/wolf mutts bent on ripping you to shreds. Of course, the enormous amount of bruises on his abdomen and bloody slash across his chest didn't help much.

As he ran, he heaved and puffed. One mile. Two miles. Any last traces of sleep were long gone, though Cato was more than used to two miles.

Three miles. The steady jog-sprint wore down. The wolf mutts barked and howled behind him, staying at a stable, fairly predictable pace. Every few minutes a new tribute-mutt jumped out of the trees and joined the pack.

Four miles. Five miles. He could spot the clearing. A flash of gold – the Cornucopia. And the glint of…silver?

He didn't slow down. Flaming Catnip's bow wasn't his priority. He homed in on the gold flash and poured extra energy into the run. The singing mockingjays around him shrieked and scattered, and Cato burst through the trees.

_Cato Masorini_

I barrel ahead, not caring about the shocked looks on Flaming Catnip's and Lover Boy's faces. Onwards. The Cornucopia. I pray those mutts can't climb.

I hear Flaming Catnip take off after me. God, she's _fast_. The boy I can hear limping after her.

I clamber up and Flaming Catnip appears to realize that she's left Lover Boy behind. I'd never do that to Clove.

"Go, Katniss! Go!"

I'm not quite sure what happens after that. I just know that there are mutts snapping at our heels, the boy's leg has been ripped open, and I have him in a headlock. The girl aims her arrow at my head, away from the armor.

I laugh. "Shoot me," I say with contempt, "and he goes down with me."

There's a moment of stalemate. The boy's turning blue. Soon he'll die, and a good solid swing of his body will throw Flaming Catnip off the side. I feel a smile tingling at the tops of my lips.

Then he draws an X on my left hand with his blood oh-so-slowly. The smile vanishes and I'm snatching my hand back, but it's too late. The arrow plunges deep in. I scream and let go. My balance is lost. I plummet.

The sword. Must – get – sword. My right hand wraps around the hilt before I hit the ground, which just about knocks everything out of me. Then I'm on my feet and trying to fend off twenty-one furious, half-sentient wolves.

Then one particular wolf tackles me. It – she – has chocolaty silky brown fur, and blazing blue eyes…

"Clove," I whisper.

The wolf snarls and goes for my stomach. I roll and the Clove-mutt flies off. But my moment of weakness has paid off for the mutts. Three pin me down – Glimmer, Marvel, the redhead Saylin – and begin on my legs. The pain is so fierce that I immediately shut down, into a hardly aware state that doesn't keep me from feeling the pain.

I am dimly aware of the cold, that time passes. Finally, I'm inside a golden place – _Not a bad place to die_, I think.

I see Flaming Catnip hanging over into my space.

"Please," I try to say. It can't come out right. But Flaming Catnip seems to get it. She pulls back the bowstring. And fires.

My last thought is how incredibly mean I was to…Katniss.


	4. Thresh Meadows

Thresh considered his black backpack. Staying on the move had prevented him from opening it.

He pulled the zipper and a mace fell out.

He took it out. The bushes rustled behind him.

_Thresh Meadows_

"You came," I say slowly, drawling. "You were stupid to come."

"I was not," the boy says. "You killed Clove Esoterica, didn't you?"

"Esoterica," I say. "Pretty last name." I get up, the mace in one hand. "Didn't want to kill her. But she killed the little girl."

"The treehopper?" he snorts. "That was Marvel. The District One idiot boy."

"Treehopper," I repeat. "She wasn't a bug."

"Idiot," he growls. "_You_ killed Clove, and she was innocent."

"She killed that boy. Those three girls," I say.

"At the _bloodbath_? Please."

I grab a rock and hurl it. Then I lift the mace for the deathblow.

He dodges and draws his sword.

The fight that follows is more of a clumsy dance. He lunges, I twirl, I swing, he ducks. On and on.

Until he snarls, "I've had enough of this!" and presses one of the jewels on the hilt of his sword.

The sword begins humming. Adrenaline shoots through me, letting me manage to batter him and for a spike on my mace to slice open his side.

But it's too late. As he doubles over, he points the sword in the general direction of my stomach. He pushes the button again and the blade shoots out of his hand, straight into me.

I feel the pain. I _definitely_ feel the pain. But a deep knowledge tells me this wound is not fatal. If I can just play dead…

Then the unhinged blade begins _wiggling_ in my abdomen. It punctures something – my stomach, or my lung – and pain of a magnitude I've never felt screams from the area.

My last sight is the boy coming back for the blade, a look of contempt and satisfaction on his face.


	5. Glimmer Spark

**Okay, I decided to do Marvel and Glimmer before Rue because I'd like to post Rue's death at the same time as the same writing on _A Rueful Tale_ and this one. So, bear with me. Coming up, Glimmer.**

Glimmer was tired. She wondered why she'd volunteered for the watch.

She slung the bow over her shoulder, feeling it catch on her shoulder blade. She didn't care. She gripped the quiver and leaned against the tree, preparing to watch for the night.

But it was a nicer night, and she was actually susceptible to sleep. She watched the fire dancing hypnotically for a while before she started to doze, eyes glazing over, eyelids lowering…

She blinked awake. _No, Glimmer – _bad_ Glimmer!_ She opened her eyes as wide as they could go, but began to doze again. Finally, she just kept pinching her upper arm. Even that didn't work…

_Glimmer Spark_

_Bzzzz_.

I wake up again. Sharp pains are peppering my legs and face. I scream as I recognize the golden bodies of tracker jackers.

_Glimmer! Run!_

I obey my internal voice and begin to run, but unbearable pain rockets up my legs and I collapse. I'm aware of the others crying, "To the lake!" but I can't – I can't see! Panic overtakes me and I began screaming again.

I hear the Girl on Fire drop down from her eighty feet. Stupid girl. There was a nest up there, I'm guessing. Never mind how she got it down.

I feel my legs swelling. Yech.

Another scream beside me. My world is starting to dissolve, and I can't quite place it. Wait – it's Zeya from District Four. Lovely.

I moan and roll onto my back. The pain is unbearable. The Girl on Fire is approaching me. The trees above me let me see a gauzy green haze, a _spinning_ green haze…

I let go.

**There you go. Glimmer.**


	6. Everyone So Far

**I decided to put reaping and goodbye blurbs while you wait for Marvel and Rue...sorry.**

_Foxface_

Saylin Vulley heard her name called, and almost fainted. But then she plastered her sneaky, smart expression on and climbed up, catching only a glimpse of her parents and sister. Joprina Vulley gave her daughter a nod, a slow, sad nod, saying that she'd do everything in her power to get her daughter out alive.

During the goodbyes, Joprina had sat quietly, holding Saylin's hand, as Rowan and Tenda sobbed over her. Saylin's friends came in and bid her goodbye sadly, barely keeping back tears.

Then, when Malya left, Joprina turned to Saylin.

"In the arena, you always have to remember – silence is golden. Stay quiet. Sneak around. Kill no one…"

_Clove_

She wasn't insane, she repeatedly told her disbelieving parents. She just wanted glory. Glory for her. Glory for _them_. Glory for Daffodil and Dandelion, her sisters. Glory for her boyfriend. Glory for everyone she cared about.

Glory was her life.

She trained. She was eighteen. And she was ready. When she volunteered, just her fierce glare made the other cries die on the lips of their criers. She came up onto the stage and proudly surveyed the crowd. She picked out Daffy, who was looking at her with undisguised awe.

When Cato Masorini came up, she surveyed him instead. He would be tough. Maybe a poison pill, perhaps, or just a quiet kill when the Career alliance was almost over.

In the Justice Building, Cal and Greta Esoterica had steadfastly ignored her while Daffy and Dandy were treated to predictions of her own victory.

_Cato_

Cato was strong. Very strong. _Very_ strong.

Everyone knew.

_Everyone_.

Cato knew he was a born Career from the day he turned ten and applied for training. He won every contest, every last one. He could use most weapons. He could do everything. So he volunteered and looked at Esoterica, thinking of how easy the little squit would be to pick off.

No one came to bid Cato goodbye.

_Thresh_

Thresh couldn't believe that Summer's young friend had been picked.

Rue was tiny, and quiet, and wouldn't hurt a fly. Thresh felt horrible.

Then _he_ was picked, and most thoughts of Rue flew out of his mind.

_Not me_.

He was only fourteen. It scared most people, that he was so young and so _huge_. He relaxed, realizing that he was almost the strongest of the strong. He'd be able to hold his own.

His family came first to visit him. They left quickly. Thresh believed they had only come because it was traditional that family come. Only his sister, Adina, seemed to care that he was going, most likely forever. She sat on his lap and stared at him. Then she left with her parents.

Summer was next. Blossomer Taryx just sat in the chair beside him. Finally, he asked, "Aren't you visiting Rue?"

She shook her head no. "Rue and I decided a long time ago, when we didn't really get what the Games were, that we wouldn't visit each other for the goodbyes if we were picked. Long story."

They sat in silence until a young Peacekeeper came in and shuffled Summer out.

_Glimmer_

She got used to it. The boys silencing themselves and pointing when she went by. The words "hot" and "beautiful" drifting over to where she was. She'd smile inwardly and pretend she hadn't heard them. She stayed high and mighty. But then were the nicknames. Barbie Girl. That was the first one. What the heck was a Barbie, anyway? She didn't want to remember what came after that. She was ten. Then came the jealousy, the girls turning away from her, the boys following their girlfriends' examples, slightly bemused. Glimmer didn't know what she'd done to deserve that, except be beautiful. She was thirteen.

She was so glad when she met Shadow.

Shadow _got_ her. She didn't call her stupid. Glimmer and Shadow buddied around a bit. Shimmer, Glimmer's twin brother, liked Shadow a lot. Glimmer's mother and father were happy that Glimmer had a normal friend.

But Glimmer was still not happy. No boyfriend. No one but Shadow to gossip with, no one but Shimmer to tease. Her life was one of exclusion. Shadow had other friends. She tried to get them to understand Glimmer, but they didn't. They despised her. And Shadow slipped away to join them. Glimmer was fifteen.

She spent two years in isolation, only cheered by the birth of her sister, Skate. She began to run, to lift weights, to handle daggers and swords. Then two days after she turned seventeen came the reaping.

Their escort – Glimmer had never bothered to learn her name – stood in all her grotesque glory on the stage. In District One, once called Texas, even May got pretty hot. Glimmer wassweating. She couldn't tell if it was the heat or anticipation of what she was about to do.

She'd only confided in Shimmer. Shimmer had begged with her, pleaded with her, offered to give her anything in his power to make her not volunteer. But Glimmer had let his entreaties slide off her unhearing ears. She had made her decision. If she was coming back, it would be because she had won.

The escort cleared her throat. "And our girl tribute is Ira Gray!"

Glimmer shouted, "I volunteer!" at the same time as six or so other girls. She yelled it again, then pushed her way up to the front and sprinted up onto the stage, beating Shadow by a few yards. Shadow glared at her, hate in her eyes, as she melted back into the crowd.

"And your name is?"

"Glimmer Spark." Glimmer's glimpse of Shadow looking at her with hatred had left her heart thumping hard, making it hard to hear.

"Exciting times in District One!" the escort squealed excitedly. "Okay, let's get ready for our male tribute! And he is…Gareth –"

"I volunteer!"

The boy pushed himself up onto the stage, raised an eyebrow at Glimmer, and gave his name as Marvel Zew. They shook hands.

Peacekeepers roughly hauled Glimmer into the Justice Building. Shimmer and her mother burst through the door, tears running down her mother's face. Her father came in, carrying a gurgling Skate.

"Glim…" Shimmer seemed at a loss for words. "You did it…"

Glimmer stared at the ceiling.

"We're proud of you, hon," Arrow Spark said quietly. "Even if you're…dispatched…in the arena, we'll be proud of you."

"Thanks, Dad," Glimmer said.

The words she was escaping swirled in her head. _Shallow. Dumb. Silly. Babyish._

Glimmer didn't have a death wish, but one way or another, no one was going to call her stupid anymore.

She was going to win these Games.


End file.
